Improvement in sound-boaeds foe hano-fobtes



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LORENZO MATT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Letters Patent No.- 72,745, dated December 31, 1867.

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TO ALL PERSONS T0 WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:

Be itlinown thatI, LORENZO MATT, of Boston, in the county of Suolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sounding-Boards for Piano-Fortes; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specication', and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is an under side view, and

Figure 2 a transverse section of a sounding-board constructed in accordance with my invention.

The nature or principle ou which, therefore, myimprovementis based, consists in constructing the soundingboard of a series of thin boards or strata, laid one upon another, and glued together', and having their grain running lengthwise of each, and so thatl that of each one of` them shall cross that of the next adjacent one at acute angles, the same being to prevent the soundingboard, when completed, froin being cracked lengthwise by variations of temperature or hygrouietric changes.

In carrying out my invention or improvement, each of the sections or boards I usually make triangular in its transverse section, each being of a width less than that immediately next to and over it, and tapered in its transverse section, and I arrange them together in manner as exhibited in the drawings, in which a b c are three boards composing the sounding-board, each of such boards being wider at one than its opposite end, the directions of the grain of each being also shown by lines in the drawings.

Another common method of making a sounding-board for appieno is to form it of one or more boards, glued together at their edges, and braced by a series of wooden bars crossing one another, and glued or fastened to.

the bottom surface of the board. By this forin of construction, the board has an even thickness throughout, and consequently will notvibrate so well as when made tapering transversely.

I find 4that a sounding-board constructed in my improved manner will vibrate to better advantage, and give -a better tone to each string of the instrument, than a board will when made of boards glued together at their edges and braced on their lowerv Surfaces. l

I do not claim a sounding-board made of several layers-of wood glued together, and .having the grain of each crossing that of the layer next to it, or otherwise made as represented in the United States Patent, No. 8,575, but f y I claim as my invention, the improved sounding-board made substantially as described, viz, of a series of layers of wood, ditcring in their widths, and tapering in their transverse sections, and laid flatwise on each other, and glued or cemented togetherwith the grain of each one of the series crossing that of the nextadjaceut one at acute angles, all essentially as hereinbefore described', and'as represented in the accompanying drawings.

LORENZO MATT.

Witnesses: y

It. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

